Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Happy birthday Grandpa Philip!

Zara Phillips, left, steps out ahead of the Duchess of Cambridge following an intimate family meal at The Waterside Inn, at Bray, Berkshire, to celebrate Prince Philip's 90th birthday

For a man who didn’t want to ‘make a fuss’, Prince Philip was all smiles as he rounded off his 90th birthday celebrations with an intimate family meal at one of the country’s top restaurants.

He and the Queen were treated to dinner at the eye-wateringly expensive, three Michelin-starred restaurant The Waterside Inn, at Bray, Berkshire, by five of their grandchildren.

It was reminiscent of the 70th birthday party thrown for the Queen by her children at the same restaurant. A generation on, and it was the grandchildren picking up the bill.

The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen were treated to dinner at the eye-wateringly expensive, three Michelin-starred restaurant by five of their grandchildren.

The group — which included Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara Phillips, as well as her brother Peter and his wife Autumn — left clutching small blue-and-white or pink-and-white boxes, thought to have contained birthday cake.

Philip himself was holding a copy of French owner Michel Roux’s Savoury And Sweet Sauces cookbook, given to him by restaurant staff.

Only Prince Harry, who was committed to a charity dinner in Ascot on Sunday, was missing from his grandchildren.

The Duchess of Cambridge wearing Stella McCartney, accompanied Prince William, while Peter and Autumn Phillips, right, made an appearance for their grandfather

Prince Philip was seen holding a copy of French owner Michel Roux's Savoury And Sweet Sauces cookbook, given to him by restaurant staff

It had been a long day for Philip, who in the morning attended a church service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, followed by a champagne reception for 750 friends and admirers. After that, there was a private lunch for senior members of the Royal Family and the Prince’s Mountbatten relatives.

The family group still appeared to be in high spirits as they ate in an elegant private dining room at the £150-a-head restaurant on the banks of the Thames.

They chose from a menu which included grilled rabbit fillets, pan-fried medallion of farmed veal with carrots and a crispy calf’s head fritter, and roasted Challandais duck.